we don't have the luxury to decide whether we want to compete in a global economy, we must compete. i agree with senator corker, maybe you should have been up for an economic position here. but will you utilize your position as secretary of state to try and get the president to work with us to solve the deficit issue? this is a matter of prioritizing spending. i don't think we can continue to tax the american economy when we need economic growth but it's about prioritizing spending. i'm a fiscal conservative who believes foreign aid can be useful but we have to get spending under control. will you use your position to encourage the president to work with us in good faith to solve the debt -- the debt and deficit issue? >> i spent six months, i guess, or five month, as a member of the super committee and i put enormous amount of energy and hope that we would be able to get the big bargain, the grand deal. i'm not here to go through all the the tails why we didn't. but there was a very hard line, nonnegotiating position that prevented us from being able to come to an agroment which in